Metal Is The Law (My Own 250 Essential Metal Albums)

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Metal Is The Law (My Own 250 Essential Metal Albums)

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A list by
Ryanm123
Created
August 27, 2025
Entries
250
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1
My 250 personal favorite metal albums which are sorted by band name and then release date. I want to make clear that I am not claiming these to be the best albums in each respective band's discography, they are just the ones I enjoy the most 😎🤘 250 is much more limiting than one might think. I really took into account the listening experience of each album as a whole instead of choosing ones that are simply loaded with individual songs I enjoy.
250.
1.
1349 - Beyond The Apocalypse
2004
250.
2.
1349 - The Infernal Pathway
2019
250.
3.
1349 - The Wolf And The King
2024
250.
4.
Acid Witch - Witchtanic Hellucinations
2008
250.
5.
Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea
2006
250.
6.
Amon Amarth - Once Sent From The Golden Hall
1998
250.
7.
Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes
1994
250.
8.
Amorphis - Silent Waters
2007
250.
9.
Amorphis - Skyforger
2009
250.
10.
Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times
2011
250.
11.
Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud
2015
250.
12.
Amorphis - Queen Of Time
2018
250.
13.
Ancient - Svartalvheim
1994
250.
14.
Ancient - The Cainian Chronicle
1996
250.
15.
Anthrax - Spreading The Disease
1985
250.
16.
Anthrax - Persistence Of Time
1990
250.
17.
Atheist - Piece Of Time
1990
250.
18.
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
1991
250.
19.
Atheist - Elements
1993
250.
20.
Atheist - Jupiter
2010
250.
21.
Baroness - Blue Record
2009
250.
22.
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
1988
250.
23.
Bathory - Hammerheart
1990
250.
24.
Bathory - Twilight Of The Gods
1991
250.
25.
Bathory - Blood On Ice
1996
250.
26.
Bathory - Nordland I
2002
250.
27.
Bathory - Nordland II
2003
250.
28.
Beast In Black - Berserker
2017
250.
29.
Beast In Black - Dark Connection
2021
250.
30.
Beherit - Drawing Down The Moon
1993
250.
31.
Between The Buried And Me - Colors
2007
250.
32.
Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect
2009
250.
33.
Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence
2012
250.
34.
Between The Buried And Me - Coma Ecliptic
2015
250.
35.
Black Funeral - Ankou And The Death Fire
2016
250.
36.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4
1972
250.
37.
Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell
1980
250.
38.
Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind
1989
250.
39.
Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World
1990
250.
40.
Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond
1992
250.
41.
Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side
1995
250.
42.
Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth
1998
250.
43.
Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera
2002
250.
44.
Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth
2006
250.
45.
Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time
2010
250.
46.
Blind Guardian - Beyond The Red Mirror
2015
250.
47.
Blind Guardian - The God Machine
2022
250.
48.
Bolt Thrower - ...For Victory
1994
250.
49.
Borknagar - The Olden Domain
1997
250.
50.
Borknagar - Quintessence
2000
250.
51.
Borknagar - Empiricism
2001
250.
52.
Borknagar - Winter Thrice
2016
250.
53.
Burzum - Det Som Engang Var
1993
250.
54.
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
1986
250.
55.
Candlemass - Nightfall
1987
250.
56.
Carcass - Heartwork
1993
250.
57.
Cave In - Jupiter
2000
250.
58.
Cave In - Perfect Pitch Black
2005
250.
59.
Cave In - Heavy Pendulum
2022
250.
60.
Children Of Bodom - Something Wild
1997
250.
61.
Children Of Bodom - Hatebreeder
1999
250.
62.
Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper
2000
250.
63.
Clutch - The Elephant Riders
1998
250.
64.
Clutch - Blast Tyrant
2004
250.
65.
ColdWorld - Melancholie²
2008
250.
66.
Covenant - In Times Before The Light
1997
250.
67.
Cradle Of Filth - Dusk... And Her Embrace
1996
250.
68.
Cradle Of Filth - Midian
2000
250.
69.
Cynic - Focus
1993
250.
70.
Cynic - Traced In Air
2008
250.
71.
Cynic - Kindly Bent To Free Us
2014
250.
72.
Dark Fortress - Tales From Eternal Dusk
2001
250.
73.
Dark Fortress - Profane Genocidal Creations
2003
250.
74.
Dark Funeral - Diabolis Interium
2001
250.
75.
Dark Moor - The Hall Of The Olden Dreams
2000
250.
76.
Dark Moor - The Gates Of Oblivion
2002
250.
77.
Dark Tranquillity - Damage Done
2002
250.
78.
Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion
2006
250.
79.
Death - Spiritual Healing
1990
250.
80.
Death - Human
1991
250.
81.
Death - The Sound Of Perseverance
1998
250.
82.
Death Angel - The Dream Calls For Blood
2013
250.
83.
Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech
1997
250.
84.
Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient
2007
250.
85.
Devin Townsend - Addicted
2009
250.
86.
Diabolical Masquerade - Ravendusk In My Heart
1996
250.
87.
Diabolical Masquerade - The Phantom Lodge
1997
250.
88.
Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
1997
250.
89.
Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon
2003
250.
90.
Dio - Holy Diver
1983
250.
91.
Dissection - The Somberlain
1993
250.
92.
Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell
2005
250.
93.
Dream Theater - Images And Words
1992
250.
94.
Dream Theater - Awake
1994
250.
95.
Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory
1999
250.
96.
Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
2002
250.
97.
Dream Theater - Train Of Thought
2003
250.
98.
Dream Theater - Octavarium
2005
250.
99.
Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
2007
250.
100.
Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
2009
250.
101.
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
2011
250.
102.
Dream Theater - A View From The Top Of The World
2021
250.
103.
Duskmourn - Legends
2014
250.
104.
Duskmourn - Of Shadow And Flame
2017
250.
105.
Edge Of Sanity - Unorthodox
1992
250.
106.
Edge Of Sanity - Purgatory Afterglow
1994
250.
107.
Edge Of Sanity - Crimson
1996
250.
108.
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
1994
250.
109.
Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk
1997
250.
110.
Empyrium - Weiland
2002
250.
111.
Ensiferum - Ensiferum
2001
250.
112.
Ensiferum - Iron
2004
250.
113.
Ensiferum - Victory Songs
2007
250.
114.
Ensiferum - From Afar
2009
250.
115.
Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi
1994
250.
116.
Enslaved - Frost
1994
250.
117.
Enslaved - Below The Lights
2003
250.
118.
Enslaved - Vertebrae
2008
250.
119.
Enslaved - In Times
2015
250.
120.
Enslaved - Utgard
2020
250.
121.
Equilibrium - Turis Fratyr
2005
250.
122.
Equilibrium - Sagas
2008
250.
123.
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
1995
250.
124.
Fear Factory - Obsolete
1998
250.
125.
Finntroll - Nifelvind
2010
250.
126.
Freedom Call - Stairway To Fairyland
1999
250.
127.
Freedom Call - Crystal Empire
2001
250.
128.
Freedom Call - Eternity
2002
250.
129.
Freedom Call - Legend Of The Shadowking
2010
250.
130.
Freedom Call - Master Of Light
2016
250.
131.
Galneryus - Angel Of Salvation
2012
250.
132.
Helloween - Walls Of Jericho
1985
250.
133.
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I
1987
250.
134.
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II
1988
250.
135.
Helloween - 7 Sinners
2010
250.
136.
Horna - Sudentaival
2001
250.
137.
Horna - Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne
2005
250.
138.
Hypocrisy - The Final Chapter
1997
250.
139.
Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter
1999
250.
140.
In Flames - The Jester Race
1996
250.
141.
In Flames - Clayman
2000
250.
142.
In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading
2011
250.
143.
In Mourning - Garden Of Storms
2019
250.
144.
In Mourning - The Immortal
2025
250.
145.
Inquisition - Invoking The Majestic Throne Of Satan
2002
250.
146.
Insomnium - One For Sorrow
2011
250.
147.
Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind
1983
250.
148.
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
1986
250.
149.
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
1988
250.
150.
Judas Priest - Stained Class
1978
250.
151.
Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance
1982
250.
152.
Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith
1984
250.
153.
Judas Priest - Painkiller
1990
250.
154.
Kalmah - Swamplord
2000
250.
155.
Kalmah - They Will Return
2002
250.
156.
Kampfar - Fra Underverdenen
1999
250.
157.
King Diamond - Abigail
1987
250.
158.
King Diamond - The Eye
1990
250.
159.
Lord Belial - Enter The Moonlight Gate
1997
250.
160.
Lord Belial - Nocturnal Beast
2005
250.
161.
Lustre - The Ashes Of Light
2020
250.
162.
Månegarm - Vredens Tid
2005
250.
163.
Mastodon - Leviathan
2004
250.
164.
Mastodon - Blood Mountain
2006
250.
165.
Mastodon - Crack The Skye
2009
250.
166.
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath
1984
250.
167.
Mercyful Fate - Time
1994
250.
168.
Mercyful Fate - 9
1999
250.
169.
Mork - Dypet
2023
250.
170.
Mork - Syv
2024
250.
171.
Mourning Beloveth - Dust
2001
250.
172.
Mourning Beloveth - The Sullen Sulcus
2002
250.
173.
Mutoid Man - War Moans
2017
250.
174.
Mysteriarch - Mournful Embrace Of Aeons
2012
250.
175.
Mysteriarch - The Majestic Fall
2007
250.
176.
Native Construct - Quiet World
2015
250.
177.
Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black
1995
250.
178.
Nightwish - Oceanborn
1998
250.
179.
Nightwish - Once
2004
250.
180.
Novembers Doom - The Pale Haunt Departure
2005
250.
181.
Old Man's Child - In Defiance Of Existence
2003
250.
182.
Omnium Gatherum - The Redshift
2008
250.
183.
Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows
2011
250.
184.
Omnium Gatherum - Beyond
2013
250.
185.
Omnium Gatherum - Grey Heavens
2016
250.
186.
Omnium Gatherum - The Burning Cold
2018
250.
187.
Omnium Gatherum - Origin
2021
250.
188.
Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
1998
250.
189.
Opeth - Still Life
1999
250.
190.
Opeth - Watershed
2008
250.
191.
Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin
1986
250.
192.
Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears
1991
250.
193.
Panopticon - Roads To The North
2014
250.
194.
Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun
2000
250.
195.
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
2002
250.
196.
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
2005
250.
197.
Rapture - Futile
1999
250.
198.
Rapture - Songs For The Withering
2002
250.
199.
Rapture - Silent Stage
2005
250.
200.
Ringarë - Under Pale Moon
2019
250.
201.
Ringarë - Thrall Of Winter's Majesty
2021
250.
202.
Ringarë - Of Momentous Endless Night
2023
250.
203.
Riverside - Love, Fear And The Time Machine
2015
250.
204.
Riverside - ID.Entity
2023
250.
205.
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times
1993
250.
206.
Satyricon - The Shadowthrone
1994
250.
207.
Satyricon - Nemesis Divina
1996
250.
208.
Scar Symmetry - Symmetric In Design
2005
250.
209.
Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe
2008
250.
210.
Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase I - Neohumanity)
2014
250.
211.
Sear Bliss - Glory And Perdition
2004
250.
212.
Sear Bliss - The Arcane Odyssey
2007
250.
213.
Sear Bliss - Letters From The Edge
2018
250.
214.
Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape
2001
250.
215.
Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica
1999
250.
216.
Sonata Arctica - Silence
2001
250.
217.
Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)
2013
250.
218.
Stormlord - At The Gates Of Utopia
2001
250.
219.
Summoning - Lugburz
1995
250.
220.
Summoning - Minas Morgul
1995
250.
221.
Summoning - Dol Guldur
1997
250.
222.
Summoning - Stronghold
1999
250.
223.
Summoning - Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame
2001
250.
224.
Summoning - Oath Bound
2006
250.
225.
Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
2013
250.
226.
Summoning - With Doom We Come
2018
250.
227.
Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy
1997
250.
228.
Symphony X - Underworld
2015
250.
229.
System Of A Down - Toxicity
2001
250.
230.
Taake - ...Bjoergvin...
2002
250.
231.
Taake - ...Doedskvad
2005
250.
232.
Taake - Taake
2008
250.
233.
Taake - Noregs Vaapen
2011
250.
234.
Testament - The Legacy
1987
250.
235.
Testament - The New Order
1988
250.
236.
Testament - Practice What You Preach
1989
250.
237.
Testament - The Gathering
1999
250.
238.
Testament - The Formation Of Damnation
2008
250.
239.
Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth
2012
250.
240.
Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
2016
250.
241.
Tiamat - Clouds
1992
250.
242.
Tiamat - Wildhoney
1994
250.
243.
Tsjuder - Demonic Possession
2002
250.
244.
Unleashed - Across The Open Sea
1993
250.
245.
Idle Hands - Mana
2019
250.
246.
Unto Others - Strength
2021
250.
247.
Windir - Arntor
1999
250.
248.
Windir - 1184
2001
250.
249.
Windir - Likferd
2003
250.
250.
Wintersun - Wintersun
2004
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